Packaging

David Jahn, director at packaging automation specialist Brillopak, examines how robotics can help food manufacturers and packhouses to seize the opportunities presented by disruptive packaging trends. Environmental concerns have been a consideration in packaging development for some years, but events in recent months have brought about a paradigm shift on packaging sustainability. Blue Planet II’s […]

Fanuc UK has introduced its first range of Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robots for picking and packing, assembly, and material handling applications. The SR-3iA, which was first unveiled at last year’s International Robot Exhibition (iREX) in Tokyo, is perfectly suited for manufacturers requiring automated, fast assembly within a circular working envelope. The robot […]

Fold it, seal it, tape it, box it, pick it, place it – automate it. No, these aren’t Daft Punk lyrics, but the separate processes that Finland-based Orfer Oy needed to automate to speed up its packaging operations. However, automating these processes without expanding on factory floor space was no easy feat. For a new […]

Online sales show no sign of slowing and the growth is driving demand for fulfilment operations to pack and ship all those ordered goods. The work is repetitive, however, and requires high accuracy to reduce costly errors or returns. That means that jobs in picking and packaging items for shipping aren’t particularly desirable, especially in […]

In its latest white paper, ‘An Introduction to Common Collaborative Robot (cobot) Applications’, Universal Robots provides an overview of how the technology can be easily integrated into common industrial applications to improve manufacturing processes. The six featured in this publication are pick and place; machine tending; packaging and palletizing; processing tasks – gluing, dispensing or […]

When a leading automated packing and packaging machine manufacturer was searching for a compact, yet high-precision servo drive package, it found the ideal solution from Yaskawa. For its new production line, Ixapack Global based in Western France selected the current dual-axis modules of the Sigma-7 Servo Systems from Yaskawa. For over 40 years Ixapack Global […]

Brillopak director David Jahn has highlighted the potential crisis farmers, produce and soft fruit packers and meat packhouses face with a hard Brexit and how automated case loading can help to counteract the loss of EU seasonal labour and curb rising costs. Between May to September each year, more than 28,000 EU workers come to […]

Pacepacker Services has used 3D printing to create a gripper to pick up bottles on the packing line of a global hand hygiene company, as part of a huge automation project that has more than doubled the company’s output. One of the key challenges was the packing line needed to handle up to six different […]

As the trend of Industry 4.0 takes the world by storm, collaborative robots and smart factories are becoming the latest hot topic. At this year’s PPMA show, HMK will demonstrate the world’s first collaborative robot with built-in vision recognition from Techman Robot. The new TM5 Cobot from HMK merges systems that usually function separately in […]

HepcoMotion will be showcasing a selection of its industry leading range of linear motion technology at PPMA Show 2017. Key products on the stand include its core V guide linear system. GV3 is designed to serve a diverse range of automation and linear applications and is widely used in the packing industry for applications such […]

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An autonomously guided vehicle (AGV) equipped with a robot arm has been developed by Mitsubishi Electric and Mirage, making it possible to deploy the same robot at multiple workstations. The system has been designed to give unprecedented flexibility to assembly lines and boost plant productivity. An articulated arm robot fixed in a static position can […]

Mitsubishi Electric’s latest Linear Transfer System (LTS) with Smart Carriage technology can increase productivity and flexibility, while maintaining plant safety and improving responsiveness. The innovative line transfer solution, combined with the unique Smart Carriages, provides an intelligent transport system for the integration of production and packaging lines. The LTS and its Smart Carriages bring product […]

Factories populated by autonomous vehicles delivering parts and sub-assemblies across the shop floor, robots working alongside human operators to assemble customised products – all scheduled automatically by live orders placed online. While this is a utopian vision of manufacturing for many and there are certain industry sectors where the journey to smart manufacturing is a […]

The Selfridges store in London’s Oxford Street has long been known for showcasing the latest innovations. Throughout its 109-year history the famed department store has played host to a variety of new technologies including the Bleriot XI airplane, the first to cross the English Channel; the first ever public demonstration of a television set; and […]

New from Igus is robolink Apiro, a new modular motion system which enables design engineers develop low-cost automation systems. Consisting three lubrication-free worm gears for standard movement, inverted movement and linear movement, the system can be configured to perform simple linear motion to complex humanoid and animatronic robotic tasks. “The name says it all: Apiro […]

ABB has expanded its collaborative automation offering with the launch of a new single-arm YuMi robot. The IRB 14050 single-arm YuMi is ABB’s most agile and compact robot and is designed to easily fit into existing production lines to increase flexibility while working safely alongside people. The new collaborative robot is one of the first […]

Robotics and automation solutions: RARUK Automation is a long established expert in the supply of a wide variety of industrial robot and automation solutions for a myriad of customer applications. Among
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According to a market research report by Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies entitled Trends in Food Processing Operations, half of the companies surveyed will be increasing their level of automation over the next three to five years. Despite this, many manufacturers admit they don’t know where to start. Here, Nigel Smith, CEO of industrial […]

In September 2017, VDMA increased its growth forecast for the current year for German robotics and automation from 7% to 11%. The industry is also booming internationally. With this positive outlook and numerous innovations ready to be shown, the world’s leading companies are going to meet at Automatica in Munich from June 19 to 22, […]

In food produce environments and packhouses, the benefits of automation when it comes to workforce health and safety are uncontended. From eliminating arduous and repetitive tasks to working uninterrupted within inhospitable chilled settings, robots are most certainly the future. Case loading specialist Brillopak and industrial automation pioneer Omron explore how smart robots, hardware and software […]

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Robotics Update is the online magazine for industrial robots and automation equipment, where users from a multitude of industries can find information about products and systems, and read comment, case studies and technical articles. Information is sourced from the leading players in the industry, and content is updated daily.